


Bits and Pieces

by Dirth_Ma_Harellan



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Tarsus IV
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-27
Updated: 2015-09-27
Packaged: 2018-04-23 15:22:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4881877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dirth_Ma_Harellan/pseuds/Dirth_Ma_Harellan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bones hears the machine hiss, and suddenly there’s sand pouring out of the dispenser into Jim’s bowl, over his hands and onto the floor.</p><p>Or, McCoy learns about Tarsus IV in bits and pieces and then has a conversation with Spock Prime about why it can't be avoided in any reality.</p><p>Update: Chapter 1 has been revised.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bits and Pieces

**Author's Note:**

> No beta as per usual.

The mess hall is packed like a sardine can, and Jim groans right along with his stomach as he leans around to look at the line for the replicators. “Man, I have got to stop skipping breakfast.”

McCoy rolls his eyes. “You’re the one that didn’t want to walk across campus for tacos.” He checks his chrono. “We’ve still got time to get there if we hurry.” 

“Naw, I like Archer’s lectures. We’d never make it back in time to get decent seats.” 

The line moves, slowly, and they pass the time discussing the morning’s history final and Bones’ impending visit to his mother in Georgia. “You know she’d love to have you down again. God only knows why, but she really does like you.” 

Jim grins at him, recognizing the jibe for what it is. “I hate to intrude. Plus, Pike might have mentioned something about visiting him in Mojave. He’s planetside for a week, wants to go over my class schedule for next semester. And owes me a couple games of chess.” To be honest, he’d been surprised to receive the invitation. Of course he enjoys the older man’s company, and he’s a hell of a cook, but it’s still new and foreign, though not unpleasant, to have people in his life who give enough of a damn to even make the offer. 

Somewhere ahead of them in the queue, Kirk hears familiar laughter. Finnigan, his ever-mirthful roommate, waves at him over the heads of other milling cadets. He’s grinning widely, and when Jim waves back he elbows one of his buddies and they both laugh. 

He’s not overly fond of Finn, but the guy has just as much love for practical jokes as he does, and they’re deeply embroiled in a prank war that’s gone the length of the semester, starting with simple tricks and escalating into an all-out battle of wits and creativity. Finnigan’s engineered some truly inspired jokes already, though Kirk gives as good as he gets (Finn’s sporting a wicked shiner courtesy of Jim’s latest masterpiece). 

Bones is complaining about his workload at the teaching hospital (“I mean really, how do they expect me to sleep?!”) when they finally reach the front of the line. Jim types in his access code, pondering over the options for the one Finnigan is least likely to have messed with and hoping it’s something innocuous like ramping up the spices. He hits the button for mac and cheese, the machine gives a clunk and a hiss, and suddenly there’s sand pouring into his bowl, over his hands and onto the floor of the mess hall. 

There are cadets snickering behind them, and Finn positively howling from a table to their right. Leonard turns to Jim to comment on the genius because really, it’s pretty impressive, but he bites his tongue because the kid is frozen, blue eyes blown wide as he watches the sand pour out of the replicator. There’s a sudden tension in his shoulders and a vein jumping in his jaw and Bones can almost see him go from a little pale to white as a sheet to green around the gills as the final grains patter onto the top of the pile. He touches his shoulder, murmurs “Jim?”, and the spell breaks.

Jim’s shoulders drop, he takes a deep breath. The smile he pastes onto his face doesn’t reach his eyes.

“I’m okay,” he says, and Bones thinks it’s not for his benefit. “I’m okay.” He shoots Finn a thumbs up, eliciting another peal of barking laughter and an “‘Ey Jimbo!” as he tips the bowl into the trash receptacle next to him and makes a show of checking his chrono. “Yeah, I really don’t want to be late for that lecture. I’ll meet you over there, yeah?” And before Leonard can say anything, he’s disappeared into the sea of red cadet uniforms, leaving a very confused doctor in his wake.

Bones finds him twenty minutes later in the bathroom across from the lecture hall with his arms wrapped around a toilet bowl. He’s pale and sweaty and his eyes are puffy and red. “Must have caught that bug that’s going around,” he mutters, shifting until he’s sitting with his back against the wall and his knees drawn up. He drapes his long arms around his legs as McCoy sits down besides him and offers him a towel to wipe his mouth with. 

“Uh huh. A bug.”

“Sure, you know. Space radiation. Crappy immunity.” The older man doesn’t comment. Kirk lets his head drop onto his knees. 

“You want to talk about it?”

“Not really. Maybe someday, but…” He sighs, lets his head fall back against the wall. “We should get to class.” 

Leonard reaches into his bag, pulling out a thermos. “Here, I know you don’t function well when you haven’t eaten.” 

Jim unscrews the lid of the thermos and sniffs tentatively. “Plomeek soup?”

“It’s bland and easy on the stomach and I’ve noticed you prefer it when you’re under the weather.” He shrugs, stands, straightening his jacket and offering his friend a hand-up, which Jim accepts gratefully.

“Thanks, Bones. For everything. I mean it.” Leonard just nods and follows him out of the bathroom.

**Author's Note:**

> There's plenty of really good fan theory about how Jim ends up on Tarsus IV. I'm going with the basic version, that being after he drives Frank's car off a cliff Frank refuses to keep him, so Winona bundles him off to Tarsus IV, in this case to stay with an old friend of George's who's retired from Starfleet and owns a farm on the colony. There will be elaboration later on; I'm already partway through that chapter. 
> 
> As always, reviews are appreciated and thanks for reading!


End file.
